4th Anniversary Altbier
Black Gold Brewery

473 mL can from the brewery; coded ALTB14150 and served slightly chilled. I haven't tried a new altbier in years, so I'm stoked that Black Gold picked this style for their fourth anniversary brew.

Pours a clear copper-amber colour, taking on more of an orange hue when held to a bright light. Situated atop is approximately one inch of soapy, foamy, khaki-coloured head that settles off within three or four minutes' time; its remnants include a frothy cap and collar, with plenty of lovely lace imprinted onto the glass. The aroma is malt-forward, consisting of toasted bread, biscuit and caramelized sugars, with added hints of hazelnut, raisin bran and spicy, herbal hops.

It's tasty, and a decent interpretation of a German brown ale. I'm getting toasted bread, toffee, biscuit and bran muffin, with subtle hints of dried fruit, e.g. raisin. Hoppier on the back end, with spicy, herbal noble hops serving to partially balance out the biscuit and caramel sweetness; mildly biscuity aftertaste. Medium in body, with middling carbonation levels that contribute to this brew's relatively smooth mouthfeel. I could probably drink a couple of these in a row, but it's too strong to be an optimal session option.

Final Grade: 3.75, eking out a B+. Black Gold's 4th Anniversary Altbier is a serviceable take on this uncommon style of German ale. I liked this considerably more than their last two anniversary beers - a session stout and a dubbel - though I still think there's plenty of room for improvement here. This is a little less balanced than I'd prefer out of an altbier, i.e. it's a little too sweet, and also somewhat lacking in depth/richness... but overall, the pros outweigh the cons. Certainly worth a tipple if you're passing through Petrolia.